Is There an Algorithm Inside the Sunzi's "Victory Temple" Concept (Chapter One)?

(updated on 01.23.17)

“These are the ways that successful strategists are victorious. They cannot be spoken or transmitted in advance. ... Before the confrontation, they resolve in their conference room (or the Victory Temple) that they will be victorious, have determined that the majority of factors are in their favor. Before the confrontation they resolve in their conference room that they will not be victorious, have determined a few factors are in their favor.

If those who find that the majority of factors favor them, will be victorious while those who have found few factors favor them will be defeated, what about someone who finds no factors in their favor?

When observing from this viewpoint, victory and defeat will be apparent.”

- Art of War 1 (Paraphrased from the Sawyer's translation)

Someone once asked us, "Can the principles of Sunzi's be transformed to an algorithm?"

We replied with a hearty "yes."

At that moment, we were quite sure about our response due to the premise that there was an obvious process model to operate from.


The Initial Victory Temple Model  

The following content is based on an earlier model that we have worked with: 

The Top Down View
Chapter 1. Assessing Strategically
Chapter 2. The Operational Overview Behind Waging a Campaign
Chapter 3. Planning the Campaign

The Field Implementation View 
Chapter 4. Disposition
Chapter 5: Strategic Power
Chapter 6. Weak Points and Strong Points.    

The Campaign Strategies
Chapter 7 Campaigning During Conflict
Chapter 8 Adjusting to the Circumstances
Chapter 9 Maneuvering Strategically


The Management of the Campaign
Chapter 10 Configuration of a Circumstance
Chapter 11 Nine Circumstances
Chapter 12 Extreme Influence
Chapter 13 Employing Intelligence


First Hint 
Identify the factors that are quietly described within each of the 13 chapters.

Final Thoughts
In the information economy, one cannot consider to be an expert if he (or she) does not have a pragmatic model and an algorithm to operate from.  

A note to some of the pseudo Sunzi experts, one cannot define the algorithm, if he (or she) does not have the exact work flow, the data structure and the tables that support the entire model.

Operating on one grand principle is not going to cut it on the long run.

Regardless of the illogical "want" to conquering the opposition without any effort.  In life, there are circumstances where one must get their hands dirty.

More to come.